Playing career

Kukkonen was drafted by the Chicago Blackhawks as their fifth-round pick, 151st overall, in the 2003 NHL Entry Draft. He played ten National Hockey League games during the 2003-04 NHL season, after which he returned to his hometown Kärpät in the SM-liiga. Kukkonen won the SM-liiga gold medal with Kärpät in 2005.

In the 2006-07 season, Kukkonen returned to the Chicago Blackhawks and played in 54 games before he was dealt to the Philadelphia Flyers along with a 3rd round draft pick in a three-way deal with the Chicago Blackhawks and Detroit Red Wings on February 26, 2007. With the Flyers, Kukkonen was put on a defensive pairing with Joni Pitkänen, also a native of Oulu. The two were also a pairing for 4 years in Finland. On May 17, 2007 he signed a two-year contract with the Flyers.

On June 24, 2009, Kukkonen signed a two-year deal with Russian team, Avangard Omsk of the KHL.

International play

Medal record
Representing Finland
Ice hockey
Olympic Games
	2006 Turin
	2010 Vancouver
	2014 Sochi
World Championships
	2011 Slovakia
	2007 Russia
	2006 Latvia
World Junior Championships
	2001 Russia

He was named to the Finnish Olympic team at the 2006 Winter Olympics after defenceman Sami Salo was injured, and played in both the semifinal match versus Russia and the gold medal match versus Sweden.

Awards

• 2005-06 Pekka Rautakallio trophy

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs

				Regular season						Playoffs
Season	Team	League		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
2000-01	Kärpät	SM-l		47	1	5	6	46		9	0	2	2	4
2001-02	Kärpät	SM-l		55	2	6	8	42		4	0	3	3	4
2002-03	Kärpät	SM-l		56	6	12	18	67		15	1	4	5	16
2003-04	Chicago Blackhawks	NHL		10	0	1	1	4		—	—	—	—	—
2003-04	Norfolk Admirals	AHL		59	3	11	14	58		8	0	0	0	8
2004-05	Kärpät	SM-l		55	5	13	18	68		12	0	2	2	6
2005-06	Kärpät	SM-l		56	11	16	27	38		11	5	7	12	8
2006-07	Chicago Blackhawks	NHL		54	5	9	14	30		—	—	—	—	—
2006-07	Philadelphia Flyers	NHL		20	0	0	0	8		—	—	—	—	—
2007-08	Philadelphia Flyers	NHL		53	1	4	5	38		14	0	2	2	6
2008-09	Philadelphia Flyers	NHL		22	0	2	2	10		—	—	—	—	—
2008-09	Philadelphia Phantoms	AHL		26	0	11	11	20		4	2	0	2	6
2009-10	Avangard Omsk	KHL		53	6	6	12	34		3	0	1	1	0
2010-11	Metallurg Magnitogorsk	KHL		37	4	8	12	16		5	0	0	0	0
2011-12	Metallurg Magnitogorsk	KHL		51	4	4	8	22		10	0	1	1	4
NHL totals				159	6	16	22	90		14	0	2	2	6
KHL totals				141	14	18	32	72		18	0	2	2	4

International

Year	Team	Event		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
1999	Finland	WJ18		7	1	0	1	0
2001	Finland	WJC		7	0	0	0	2
2005	Finland	WC		7	0	0	0	2
2006	Finland	Oly		2	0	0	0	0
2006	Finland	WC		9	2	0	2	8
2007	Finland	WC		9	0	1	1	4
2009	Finland	WC		6	0	0	0	4
2010	Finland	Oly		6	0	1	1	4
2010	Finland	WC		6	0	0	0	2
2011	Finland	WC		9	0	0	0	1
2012	Finland	WC		10	0	1	1	0
2013	Finland	WC		10	0	0	0	0
2014	Finland	Oly		6	0	0	0	2	Junior int'l totals			14	1	0	1	2
Senior int'l totals				45	2	2	4	24

[ Source: Wikipedia ]